怕 meaning and stroke order
To be afraid; to fear; to dread
How to write 怕, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 怕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to be afraid
- to fear
- to dread
- to be unable to endure
- perhaps
How 怕 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 白 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 怕
怕 (pà) is the heart radical 忄 next to 白 (bái, white), which gives the sound. Picture a heart gone white with fear.
怕 is a common verb meaning to be afraid of something, and it can take a noun or a verb phrase directly after it. It also softens statements, as in 恐怕 (kǒngpà, I'm afraid that). Example: 我怕狗。(Wǒ pà gǒu.) I'm afraid of dogs.
Common mistake: Learners often write 拍 (pāi, to clap) instead, because both use 白 on the right. 怕 has the heart radical 忄, while 拍 has the hand radical 扌. Also keep the fourth tone: pà, not pā.
Common words with 怕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 可怕 | kěpà | awful; dreadful | HSK 2 |
| 害怕 | hàipà | to be afraid; to be scared | HSK 3 |
| 恐怕 | kǒngpà | fear; to dread | HSK 3 |
| 哪怕 | nǎpà | even; even if | HSK 4 |
| 生怕 | shēngpà | to fear; afraid | HSK 7-9 |
| 不怕 | bùpà | fearless; not worried (by setbacks or difficulties) | |
| 惧怕 | jùpà | to be afraid | |
| 怕死 | pàsǐ | to be scared of dying | |
| 只怕 | zhǐpà | I'm afraid that...; perhaps | |
| 担惊受怕 | dānjīngshòupà | (idiom) apprehensive; alarmed; anxious |
怕 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 怕
How many strokes are in 怕?
怕 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 怕 mean?
怕 (pà) means to be afraid; to fear; to dread. A common word with it is 可怕 (kěpà), meaning "awful; dreadful".
How do you pronounce 怕?
怕 is pronounced pà, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 怕?
The radical of 怕 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 怕 under this radical.
Is 怕 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 怕 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 怕 and 害怕?
Both mean to be afraid. 怕 is shorter and very common before an object, as in 怕黑 (pà hēi, afraid of the dark). 害怕 is more often used alone as a state, as in 我很害怕 (wǒ hěn hàipà, I'm very scared).
Can 怕 mean something other than fear?
Yes. It can mean unable to stand something, as in 怕冷 (pà lěng, can't stand the cold). It can also mean perhaps, as in 怕是要下雨了 (pà shì yào xià yǔ le, it will probably rain).